DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claims 1-5 and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 2, “that transports the cloth upward” is read as “that is configured to transport the cloth upward”.
In claim 1, line 4, “that transports the cloth upward” is read as “that is configured to transport the cloth upward”.
In claim 2, line 6, “that transports the cloth together with the lower section” is read as “that is configured to transport the cloth together with the lower section”.
In claim 3, line 2, “that transports the cloth placed on the placement section upward” is read as “that is configured to transport the cloth placed on the placement section upward”.
In claim 4, line 3, “that transports the cloth upward” is read as “that is configured to transport the cloth upward”.
In claim 4, line 4, “that transports the cloth upward” is read as “that is configured to transport the cloth upward”.
In claim 5, line 3, “that transports the cloth upward” is read as “that is configured to transport the cloth upward”.
In claim 5, line 4, “that transports the cloth upward” is read as “that is configured to transport the cloth upward”.
In claim 9, line 18, “the lifting unit lifts the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion” is read as “the lifting unit is configured to lift the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1, 4-5 recite “a first cheddar roll unit”, “a second cheddar roll unit” and “a cheddar belt portion”. It is unclear what structures the Applicant wants to mention by the term “cheddar”. For the purpose of applying art, “a first cheddar roll unit” is interpreted as a first cylindrical roller; “a second cheddar roll unit” is interpreted as a second cylindrical roller; and “a cheddar belt portion” is read as a band-shaped belt portion based on para. [0031] of the specification of the invention.
Claim 1 recites “the placement roll units” in line 8. It is unclear which “placement roll units” the Applicant wants to mention as there are “a plurality of placement roll units” in line 7. For the purpose of applying art, “the placement roll units” are interpreted as the plurality of placement roll units.
Claim 4 recites “the placement roll units” in line 6. It is unclear which “placement roll units” the Applicant wants to mention as there are “a plurality of placement roll units” in line 5. For the purpose of applying art, “the placement roll units” is interpreted as the plurality of placement roll units.
Claim 5 recites “the placement roll units” in line 6. It is unclear which “placement roll units” the Applicant wants to mention as there are “a plurality of placement roll units” in line 5. For the purpose of applying art, “the placement roll units” is interpreted as the plurality of placement roll units.
Any remaining claims are rejected as depending from a rejected base claim.
In the art rejections below the claims have been treated as best understood by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jensen (US 5606812) in view of McCabe (US 5515627).
Regarding claim 1, Jensen teaches an insertion unit (10) comprising:
a lower section (13, 12) on which one side of cloth is placed and that transports the cloth upward (col. 3, lines 1-11)(fig. 2); and an upper section (14, 15, 16, 11) that is disposed above the lower section and that transports the cloth upward (fig. 2), wherein the lower section (13, 12) includes a placement section (13) on which the cloth is placed (col. 3, lines 1-11), the upper section (14, 15, 16, 11) includes a movable section (14) that is rotatable upward and downward at a position above the placement section (fig. 2, col. 3, lines 22-30), the movable section having rotated upward rotates downward when the one side of the cloth is placed on the placement section (col. 3, lines 22-30, the examiner also notes that the movable section rotating downward when the cloth is placed on the placement section is functional), and the one side of the cloth is transported upward with the one side being sandwiched between the placement section and the movable section (col. 3, lines 1-11). Jensen does not clearly teach the placement section includes a plurality of placement roll units and a placement belt portion wound around the placement roll units; and the movable section includes a first cheddar roll unit, a second cheddar roll unit and a cheddar belt portion wound around the first cheddar roll unit and the second cheddar roll unit.
However, in the same field of endeavor, McCabe teaches the placement section includes a plurality of placement roll units (fig. 6, rollers 104, 106) and a placement belt portion (fig. 6, belt 102) wound around the placement roll units; and the movable section includes a first cheddar roll unit (fig. 6, roller 112), a second cheddar roll unit (fig. 6 roller 114) and a cheddar belt portion (fig. 6, belt 113) wound around the first cheddar roll unit and the second cheddar roll unit.
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the placement section and the movable section of Jensen with roller units and belt portions wound around the roller units as taught by McCabe for the benefit of transferring the cloth from a downward position to an upward position, which is well-known in the art.
Regarding claim 2, the modified structure of Jensen-McCabe teaches wherein the upper section (Jensen, 14, 15, 16, 11) includes a pull-up portion (Jensen, 15) for rotation of the movable section,
a cylinder portion (Jensen, 16) that is connected to the pull-up portion and is expandable and contractable (Jensen, col. 3, lines 22-30, via pneumatic cylinder), and an upper transportation section (Jensen, 11) that transports the cloth together with the lower section (Jensen, 13, 12)(col. 3, lines 1-11),
the pull-up portion (Jensen, 15) is disposed at the movable section (Jensen, fig. 2), and
the cylinder portion (Jensen, 16) is attached to the upper transportation section (Jensen, 11) and the pull-up portion (Jensen, 15) to be expandable and contractable (Jensen, fig. 2, col. 3, lines 22-30).
Regarding claim 3, the modified structure of Jensen-McCabe teaches the lower section (Jensen, 13, 12) includes a lower transportation section (Jensen, 12) that transports the cloth placed on the placement section upward (Jensen, fig. 2), and the lower transportation section (Jensen, 12) is disposed to have a larger slope than a slope of the placement section (Jensen, 13) as seen in a side view (Jensen, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Jensen teaches a cloth insertion device (fig. 2) comprising:
an insertion unit (10) that includes a lower section (13, 12) on which one side of a cloth is placed and that transports the cloth upward (col. 3, lines 1-11)(fig. 2) and an upper section (14, 15, 16, 11) that is disposed above the lower section and that transports the cloth upward (fig. 2), and in which the lower section (13, 12) includes a placement section (13) on which the cloth is placed, the upper section (14, 15, 16, 11) includes a movable section (14) that is rotatable upward and downward at a position above the placement section (fig. 2, col. 3, lines 22-30), the movable section having rotated upward rotates downward when the one side of the cloth is placed on the placement section (col. 3, lines 22-30, the examiner also notes that the movable section rotating downward when the cloth is placed on the placement section is function), and the one side of the cloth is transported upward with the one side being sandwiched between the placement section and the movable section (col. 3, lines 1-11).
Jensen does not clearly teach the placement section includes a plurality of placement roll units and a placement belt portion wound around the placement roll units; and the movable section includes a first cheddar roll unit, a second cheddar roll unit and a cheddar belt portion wound around the first cheddar roll unit and the second cheddar roll unit.
However, in the same field of endeavor, McCabe teaches the placement section includes a plurality of placement roll units (fig. 6, rollers 104, 106) and a placement belt portion (fig. 6, belt 102) wound around the placement roll units; and the movable section includes a first cheddar roll unit (fig. 6, roller 112), a second cheddar roll unit (fig. 6 roller 114) and a cheddar belt portion (fig. 6, belt 113) wound around the first cheddar roll unit and the second cheddar roll unit.
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the placement section and the movable section of Jensen with roller units and belt portions wound around the roller units as taught by McCabe for the benefit of transferring the cloth from a downward position to an upward position, which is well-known in the art.
Claims 5-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jensen (US 5606812) in view of McCabe (US 5515627) and Maejima (US 2017/0335505).
Regarding claim 5, Jensen teaches a cloth insertion device (fig. 2) comprising:
an insertion unit (10) that includes a lower section (13, 12) on which one side of a cloth is placed and that transports the cloth upward (col. 3, lines 1-11)(fig. 2) and an upper section (14, 15, 16, 11) that is disposed above the lower section and that transports the cloth upward (fig. 2), and in which the lower section (13, 12) includes a placement section (13) on which the cloth is placed, the upper section (14, 15, 16, 11) includes a movable section (14) that is rotatable upward and downward at a position above the placement section (fig. 2, col. 3, lines 22-30), the movable section having rotated upward rotates downward when the one side of the cloth is placed on the placement section (col. 3, lines 22-30, the examiner also notes that the movable section rotating downward when the cloth is placed on the placement section is function), and the one side of the cloth is transported upward with the one side being sandwiched between the placement section and the movable section (col. 3, lines 1-11).
Jensen does not clearly teach the placement section includes a plurality of placement roll units and a placement belt portion wound around the placement roll units; and the movable section includes a first cheddar roll unit, a second cheddar roll unit and a cheddar belt portion would around the first cheddar roll unit and the second cheddar roll unit.
However, in the same field of endeavor, McCabe teaches the placement section includes a plurality of placement roll units (fig. 6, rollers 104, 106) and a placement belt portion (fig. 6, belt 102) wound around the placement roll units; and the movable section includes a first cheddar roll unit (fig. 6, roller 112), a second cheddar roll unit (fig. 6 roller 114) and a cheddar belt portion (fig. 6, belt 113) wound around the first cheddar roll unit and the second cheddar roll unit.
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the placement section and the movable section of Jensen with roller units and belt portions wound around the roller units as taught by McCabe for the benefit of transferring the cloth from a downward position to an upward position, which is well-known in the art.
The modified structure of Jensen-McCabe does not teach an intermediate device that receives the cloth from the insertion unit, and a pair of stretching clamps.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Maejima teaches a similar invention (10) having an insertion unit (11-13, 15), an intermediate device (20, 29, 39) that receives the cloth from the insertion unit (paras. 59-62); a pair of stretching clamps (37, 38)(paras. 63, 65). It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have provided the cloth insertion device of the modified structure of Jensen-McCabe with an intermediate device that receives the cloth from the insertion unit; and a pair of stretching clamps in view of Maejima in order to convey the cloth through the cloth insertion device to be stretched so that the cloth can be carried into an ironing process in a spread state (para. 2 of Maejima).
Regarding claim 6, the modified structure of Jensen-McCabe-Maejima teaches the intermediate device includes a fixed catch roll unit (Maejima, 31), a movable catch roll unit (Maejima, 32) that comes into contact with the fixed catch roll unit (Maejima, paras. 60, 61, fig. 6), and a delivery unit (Maejima, 33) that is movable in a front-rear direction in order to deliver a right rear corner portion which is a right rear conner of the cloth and a left rear corner portion which is a left rear corner of the cloth transported from the insertion unit to the pair of the stretching clamps (Maejima, paras. 60-62), and the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion of the cloth transported to the fixed catch roll unit are clamped by the fixed catch roll unit and the movable catch roller unit and the delivery unit moves to a front side close to the insertion unit so that the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion are clamped (Maejima, paras. 60-62).
Regarding claim 7, the modified structure of Jensen-McCabe-Maejima teaches the cloth insertion device includes a main body portion (Maejima, fig. 2) for attaching the intermediate device, and the intermediate device includes a fixed catch roll unit (Maejima, 31), a movable catch roll unit (Maejima, 32) that comes into contact with the fixed catch roll unit (Maejima, fig. 6, paras. 60, 61), and a delivery unit (Maejima, 33) that is movable in a front-rear direction of the main body portion (Maejima, fig. 3A) in order to deliver a right rear corner portion which is a right rear corner of the cloth and a left rear corner portion which is a left rear corner of the cloth transported from the insertion unit (Maejima, paras. 60-62) and the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion of the cloth transported to the fixed catch roll unit are clamped by the fixed catch roll unit and the movable catch roll unit and the delivery unit moves to a front side close to the insertion unit so that the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion are clamped (Maejima, paras. 60-62), the delivery unit (Maejima, 33) being attached to right and left sides of the main body portion perpendicular to the front-rear direction (Maejima, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, the modified structure of Jensen-McCabe-Maejima teaches the intermediate device includes a fixed catch roll unit (Maejima, 31), a movable catch roll unit (Maejima, 32) that comes into contact with the fixed catch roll unit (Maejima, 60, 61, fig. 6), and a delivery unit (Maejima, 33) that is movable in a front-rear direction in order to deliver a right rear corner portion which is a right rear corner of the cloth and a left rear corner portion which is a left rear corner of the cloth transported from the insertion unit a to the pair of stretching clamps (Maejima, paras. 60-62), the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion of the cloth transported to the fixed catch roll unit are clamped by the fixed catch roll unit and the movable catch roll unit and the delivery unit moves to a front side close to the insertion unit so that the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion are clamped (Maejima, paras. 60-62),the intermediate device includes a lifting unit (Maejima, 39) that lifts the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion (Maejima, para. 64), the delivery unit moves to the front side so that the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion are clamped (Maejima, paras. 60-65),the delivery unit moves to a rear side away from the insertion unit with the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion being clamped (Maejima, paras. 60-65),the lifting unit lifts the right rear corner portion and the left rear corner portion (Maejima, paras. 60-65), and the lifted right rear corner portion and the lifted left rear corner portion are held by the pair of stretching clamps (Maejima, paras. 60-65).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The examiner did not find the features of the fixed catch roll unit, movable catch roll unit, and stripping roll unit that comes into contact with the fixed catch roll unit as claimed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, dated 02/27/2025, with respect to the rejection of claims under 35 U.S.C 112 (b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection to the claims has been withdrawn due to the applicant amendments.
Applicant’s arguments, dated 02/27/2025, with respect to the rejections of claims under 35 U.S.C 102/103 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Applicant argues that the prior art does not teach the amended limitations. However, this argument is not commensurate with the rejected claims, as the limitations have not been previously presented. Thus, the amended limitations have been addressed as analyzed above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALISSA J TOMPKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-3425. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/ALISSA J TOMPKINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3732
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